Return of the Legendary Runesmith

"Arghuooo!!" the demon roared, hurling itself at Ariana.

The silver-haired fighter smirked, slipping under its claw and slamming her shoulder into its chest.

The impact cracked like thunder. The beast stumbled back, claws scraping against the stone floor as it fought to steady itself—but Ariana gave it no chance.

With a savage swing, she brought her mace crashing down onto its skull.

SQUASH

The head exploded under the blow, a spray of black gore splattering across the ground. Its body crumpled like wet clay, bones snapping, muscles tearing, and flesh spreading across the floor in a pulpy mess.

The stench of blood and rot filled the air, enough to send any civilian retching. But Ariana, a former Warden, stood firm, eyes cold and unshaken.

The sound of bones crunching had barely faded when another twisted figure lunged at her, snarling like a rabid beast. Its eyes glowed red, its mouth dripping black saliva as it swung wildly with clawed hands.

Ariana didn't flinch. She sidestepped, her mace already in motion. The weapon slammed into its ribs with a sickening crack, the force throwing the creature off balance. It howled in pain but didn't stop—rushing her again, faster and wilder.

She met its charge head-on. Her foot crashed into its knee, snapping it backward with a sharp pop. The beast collapsed forward, screaming, but Ariana showed no mercy. She swung her mace down again and again, each strike heavier than the last.

CRACK.

CRUSH.

SPLAT.

In seconds, its skull was nothing but shattered bone and black pulp smeared across the floor. The body twitched once, then went still, the stench of death growing thicker.

Ariana stood over the ruined corpse, breathing steady, eyes still cold as iron. She wiped the gore from her weapon with a single swipe on the creature's torn flesh, her eyes already on the acolytes before her.

The sight before them was too horrifying, but there was no escape.

"At once! Fire!" they shouted, voices shaking, and hurled spell after spell toward her.

Ariana exhaled, calm and slow, spinning the chained mace in front of her. Sparks lit up the air as every blast was swatted aside like nothing.

The acolytes panicked, spreading out to circle her—yet in doing so, they sealed their own fate.

"AHHHH!" one screamed as Ariana suddenly vanished from sight, only to reappear at his back. The rear spike of her flail drove straight through him, bursting from his chest with a spray of blood. His body arched, trembling in agony, before Ariana's hand clamped down on his neck. She squeezed once—

CRUNCH

His bones snapped like dry wood. When she let go, he collapsed to the ground, limp and lifeless.

Another, shaking with rage and fear, slammed his staff onto the stone floor. A magic circle blazed to life, and from it rose a massive golem, its body forming from rock and dust.

"You have tormented us enough! It's time—"

DUUUM!

The words died in his throat. Ariana's mace came down like a hammer from the heavens, smashing into the golem's head before its body was even whole.

CRUMBLE!

The creature shattered into a thousand fragments, chunks of stone flying like shrapnel across the room. Dust filled the air, coating the terrified acolytes as they stared at Ariana in disbelief.

She dragged her mace back across the floor, the chain rattling, eyes locked on the next fool brave enough to stand before her.

Her brow arched, a faint spark of amusement flickering in her cold eyes.

"Were you about to say something?" she asked, mockery laced in her voice.

The acolyte's face twisted with rage. "Fuck you, bitch!" he spat, thinking his anger and magic would carry him through.

That was his first mistake.

Ariana didn't even blink. Her mace swung in a brutal arc, the chain whistling before the spiked head crushed into his chest. The impact folded him in half with a CRACK, ribs snapping like brittle sticks. He choked out blood, eyes wide in shock, before crumpling lifeless at her feet.

It was always the same.

These weren't fighters—they were children playing with borrowed toys, thinking artifacts and spells would save them. And Ariana was no stranger to blood. She had been a Warden for seven long years, fighting horrors that would drive men insane. These fledglings didn't stand a chance.

One after another, they rushed, and one after another, they were reduced to broken heaps on the ground. A head caved in here, a spine shattered there, throats torn open by the rear spike of her flail. There were no screams that lasted long.

Ariana never left her enemies writhing or begging. When she passed a fallen foe, her weapon always came down one last time—ensuring they never rose again.

By the time the last body hit the stone floor, the chamber reeked of blood and burning flesh. The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the sound of Ariana dragging her bloodied weapon behind her as she moved forward without a glance at the dead.

Once she finished her task, she took a few moments to clean her beloved weapon. Once certain the area was clear, her thoughts went straight to Ruby—then to Adrian.

The distant sound of explosions had quieted, and as long as the ring on her finger didn't glow, she knew Adrian was still safe.

Calmly, she stepped into the house. Inside, the Vermillion family sat huddled together, fear still heavy in their eyes as they surrounded their only injured member.

"How is he?" Ariana's steady voice broke the silence, drawing their attention to the unfamiliar figure in the doorway.

Ruby rose quickly from the floor, relief softening her worried face.

"Not improving, but alive," she said. "It's thanks to you and Adrian that we're still here."

True to her words, Ruby knew she might not have been able to protect her family if Adrian hadn't appeared right when she needed him. And Ariana, guarding the other side of the house, had ensured no threat slipped through. Together, they had kept the family safe.

Ariana let out a small sigh. "It's nothing—ah!" Her voice broke into a sharp cry as sudden pain seared her finger. Ruby gasped as well, clutching her own hand.

Both women raised their hands, eyes widening at the sight of their rings glowing with a fierce, bright light.

There was no time to think. Without a word, they bolted out of the house, hearts pounding, knowing exactly what that signal meant.

And the moment they stepped out, their eyes widened in utter shock and disbelief.

Adrian knelt on the ground before a beheaded acolyte…with the acolyte's hand pierced right through Adrian's chest.

"ADRIAN!!"